Archive for the ‘GoPro’ tag

Maya Angelou once said: “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

These days that famous line is especially resonant for us as experiential marketers. Consumers today seek inclusion, conversation, and, above all, powerful emotion from their brands. As technology thrives and the world vacillates between online and off, brand interactions must be deeply personal, customized and meaningful. At the core of all this lies experiential, the place where people join your circle, trust is built and lasting memories are made. Just one reason why investment in experiential marketing is up nearly 5% from last year.

Knowing the needs, aspirations and interests of the target consumer is more essential than ever before, and one brand has hit all these notes perfectly in 2014: GoPro.

In an era where standalone consumer electronics crash and burn at the hand of the dominant smartphone, GoPro’s $2.95 billion IPO was the largest of its kind in 20 years. What impresses me about this feat is not the camera’s innovative size or quality (while impressive), but rather the way the company has sold people on the experience of using the camera rather than the camera itself. They sell the spectacular memory of catching a surf wave, braving a double black diamond or jumping from an airplane (on my bucket list). A GoPro camera symbolizes the thrill seeker. A society of adventure lovers that captures life’s most exciting moments and empowers them by giving them a voice to share content digitally with fellow enthusiasts.

GoPro’s success is a testament to the emotional value we place on experiences. Technology is making this easier and easier. As we’ve seen with GoPro and other tech wearables, the latest gadgets allow brands to personalize experience even more through robust, user-generated data and content.

So what next? Savvy experiential marketing is the perfect medium for sowing intimate relationships and leaving your consumers feeling valued and inspired. Just look at the brilliant experiential campaigns put out by GoPro, Red Bull or Converse’s music-recording studios. These are the mavericks that take their purpose to heart and understand that while experiential may not reach the ten million viewers that see a flashy TV ad, it reaches a more concentrated and valuable audience.